Empowering Village Leaders to Fight Ghost Projects
SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur — Village officials and key stakeholders across Agusan del Sur’s 322 villages are now fully prepared to detect and prevent ghost projects in their communities. This growing vigilance ensures that non-existent or unfinished government infrastructure projects no longer plague the province.
Last week, a two-day training workshop equipped local leaders and stakeholders with the skills to monitor government projects closely. The focus was on empowering participants to oversee infrastructure initiatives from both local and national agencies, reinforcing the fight against ghost projects.
Training Initiative Strengthens Local Oversight
The provincial government’s Results-Based Monitoring and Evaluation (RBME) program spearheaded this comprehensive training. Participants included village officials, Sangguniang Kabataan members, civil society groups, and school principals. The sessions taught effective methods to monitor, assess, and evaluate government and non-government projects within their communities.
In light of recent national controversies surrounding flood control project anomalies, local leaders in Agusan del Sur are stepping up as vigilant watchdogs. They aim to protect their communities from corruption and ensure transparency in project implementation.
National Scandals Highlight Urgent Need for Accountability
Recent investigations by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee revealed numerous flood control projects worth billions of pesos that were either incomplete or did not exist. This scandal left the public questioning government accountability and project legitimacy.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent inspection of a flood control project in Bulacan further underscored this issue. He discovered an abandoned construction site falsely declared as completed, prompting strong government condemnation of such economic sabotage.
Local Leaders Embrace Transparency and Citizen Oversight
Michael Leo Torralba, head of the RBME office, led the training and emphasized the importance of transparency. He noted, “Sometimes, the only ones aware of projects in their areas are the people’s organizations, not the barangays. This training empowers them to change that.”
For the first time, village officials in Agusan del Sur are equipped with the knowledge to monitor projects from planning stages through completion. This proactive approach directly counters the ghost project scandals and strengthens local governance.
Community Leaders Commit to Active Monitoring
Officials from Bayugan City who attended the workshop expressed gratitude for the new skills gained. They believe these tools will enhance transparency and accountability in their respective barangays.
“This program has given us the tools to ensure that projects serve our needs and are not just paper promises,” said Gaudencio Celeste, barangay captain of Sagmone, Bayugan City. Similarly, Albert Jalapan, barangay councilor of Villa Undayon, stressed that monitoring and evaluation are crucial for aligning projects with community needs.
Leveraging Social Media for Project Transparency
Participants were also trained to use social media platforms like Facebook to maintain transparency. By sharing updates and tracking project progress online, they can build public trust and keep communities informed.
Legal Framework Supports Barangay Involvement
Torralba highlighted that national agencies implementing rural infrastructure projects must coordinate with barangay officials from start to finish, as mandated by the Local Government Code (Republic Act 7160). This ensures local stakeholders are involved in every phase of national projects.
Agusan del Sur is now at the forefront of holding government projects accountable, making it clear that ghost projects have no place in the province, officials reported.
For more news and updates on government project monitoring, visit Filipinokami.com.
